Perks of Risk-Taking

Sometimes I'm happy when I listen to my urges. So far this is one of those times.

I debated leaving paradise for the unknown. But I did leave, and so far the journey has been nothing short of spectacular! Backroads across AZ, UT and now NV were totally unoccupied...except for a few 4-legged friends. Check out this short slideshow.

Why Not?

Tillie dwarfed by snowy mountains 3 years ago. We just missed a huge storm, but the remnants of it were thought-provoking. This was the pretty stuff. I didn't stop for pix in the more intimidating part.

I'm in a weird spot now--perfectly content, having all I need--electricity, water, a vehicle to chase around in, ideal weather, good friends, and no push to leave. The Phoenix area at this time of year is beautiful--signs of spring brighten up this usually brown resort area.

So why am I so restless? I'm not sure, but I am. And I'm willing to give up Nirvana to set out to the nether lands. How weird is that? It is.

My official business here is almost done and should be wrapped up by tomorrow. So I could, would, should leave Thursday. Reno is my next destination, but I don't need/want to be there too soon, so I'm thinking about how to go without taking the routes I've traveled before.

Heading north to go east of the Grand Canyon and into Utah would take me on a route I haven't traveled since I was in college, when my vehicle was a '68 Firebird sans snowtires, and my traveling companion/college roommate Pat and I were feeling quite full of ourselves until the blizzard hit, forcing our route to change (the least of the possible catastrophes as we drove at night through a blinding snowstorm in the mountains).

I'm quite tempted, and barring other options popping up that make more sense, Tillie and I will likely head for a scenic route. Sure, I'll check weather forecasts, knowing that springtime storms blast across the mountains picking up weirdness from California, and I don't want to test my mountain driving skills in a blizzard. The all-important campground with electricity has diminished in importance after my weeks of boondocking this trip.

But I do want adventure, or at least a less-than-tedious drive across NV, so the northerly route it will be. And who knows when/if I'll pass this way again. I say go for it! What say you?

Tillie n' Me...Getting Better Every Day!

How cool is this? A friend let me know about Wordle, and, well, it does become addicting!

I assembled a list of words related to my past 3 1/2 years of RVing. It's not all inclusive, as I am looking at it now and coming up with a few more. Oh well, it's free, and I can do another one. Here's a pointer I learned on my own.

Once you create yours, print it but use one of the PDF creating tools, or maybe you don't even have to, but that lets you save it. Then copy the image into a photo editing program, save as a jpg, and then you can use it like you would a photo.

And, it's probably smart to assemble your random list of words in a word doc so you don't have to start from scratch if you forgot something. I didn't find a way to scrap it except for exiting the program and reopening. You will end up posting to the gallery and looking at the collection waiting for yours, the best of all.

The perfect hobby for a quiet evening boondocking in a parking lot, or wherever. Don't say I didn't teach you something!!

Bad Wind Blowin'

Trouble ahead. Sometimes it's good to know so you can avoid it, and sometimes knowing it makes you know you're hitting trouble, but you have to plunge into it.

Such was the case yesterday as I headed across central Texas, on backroads, of course. I was nearing the town that was my destination for the night and I saw some ominous clouds on the horizon. Uh oh, I thought, the band of storms that I thought maybe I missed was darkening a growing portion of sky.

Steady as she goes, I figured. Since this is crackling dry central TX, I started pondering the grassfires that I used to dismiss as No Big Deal. Three years ago as I ventured on my first HEAR US trip, I was treated to an up-close-and-personal tour of the after-effects of grassfires, and have since revised my NBD opinion to V(ery)BD.

As I neared town, I became more alarmed because the dark sky was resembling either tornadoes or smoke. Hmmm...and me, down to 1/4 tank of gas, not the ideal amount if you have to run for the hills in rural anywhere.

I figured I'd keep driving in that direction until I could figure out what was up. Certainly cop cars would block our path if this were a fire or tornado. I hope.

As I neared town it became ominously obvious--of course, a dust storm. After all, we're nearing the Great Depression 2, and plenty of bare topsoil is available in the Dust Bowl. I'm not making this up. Here is a link to my pix I took as I neared the storm...

I'm wind-seasoned, but it's like snow, the first time of the season is a learning curve. No time for learning here. I kicked on the Weather Band and heard that gusts of 60+mph, regular winds 45-50. It got dark. And when it started spitting rain, my initial thought was "Oh great, mud on the windshield." The new wipers I had were useless because of the headwinds/sidewinds, whatever-winds.

And suddenly my 1/4 tank of gas became even a bigger problem than my empty water tank. Temps were supposed to drop into the 40s, with wind, I figured that would be plenty cold. And since my genny doesn't run on less than 1/4 tank I'm screwed. I had to get gas. The ubiquitous WalMart appeared, with good ol' Murphy's gas. OK.

Despite my ample size, the winds nearly blew me across the lot as I held the nozzle. I figured $20 would do the trick, and literally as I was replacing the hose the gas station's power went out. Timing! At least for me.

I aimed Tillie's nose into the wind on the edge of the WM parking lot. And we rocked and rolled for the better part of 3 hours, when it subsided somewhat. I was tired, and used the motion to rock me to sleep.

When I looked out this morning, I saw what could explain some of the lessening winds...a semi had parked between me and the wind, shielding Tillie from the worst of it. Thanks, trucker.

My thought through most of this was for those households living in old beater mobile homes and RVs that I've passed on all the backroads of this country. I know how wind-proof Tillie is not. And it's a newer RV. What would it be like to try to live in a dilapidated home of any sort with this wind, or other bad weather common across the nation? (I'm not ignoring the even worse realities of other countries, I'm just writing from my experience.)

All this at a time when Congress is debating an amount of money I can't even begin to imagine. And they can't see that millions of substandard houses are posing hardships for tens of millions of people? Perhaps they should ride around with me....

Driving Dirty and Proud of It!

I'm not a total slob. In fact, I appreciate reasonable attempts to attain some form of neatness, even when I'm the one doing the cleaning.

But I have to claim the title of "dirtiest RV in the southwest." And I just don't know what to do about it.

Tillie got a good cleaning back at the end of September, let's see, 4 months and 4,000 miles ago. Why would she be looking so dirty?!

I've washed her by myself before, and then said real bad words when it rained, amazingly in dry climates like Las Cruces in February! It usually rains the next day after the Tillie bath--a good way to break a drought!

So I'm going to keep driving-dirty. I will be proud. I'm not one of the pristine RVs that look like the maid, butler and valet came out to clean the specks of dirt off before anyone sees it. Nope, we're going to be the dirtiest little RV in the whole country.

On another note, I am sort of adept at electrical stuff, having taken a wiring course back in my lighting showroom management days. But I was a bit flummoxed yesterday when my GFI outlet tripped, not why it did, but how to get it back into the working column.

Have you ever noticed how small the writing is on those things? Reset? Test? Well, having discovered the breakers for AC and the fuses (which I've worked with before) for DC, I figured it was a slam dunk for flipping the breaker but the reset button wouldn't reset. Hmmm....

So I got down on the floor and again looked at the breakers, inconveniently located under my bed, and fiddled around, and lo and behold--it works. I'm not asking why.

As I am a month into this 4th year of my travels, I smile at the stress that I let myself experience my first time out...worried about whether or not I had full hook-ups, if the park had a gate, how long I could go without dumping, etc. I even sort of cared if I was dirty.

Now, nah! Whatever.

Better Than Sleeping Outside

I knew I was spoiled. After the summer of being comfortably parked at a friend's in the Chicago suburbs and 2 months of all the comforts (water, electric, easy access to dump, great view, quiet) in GA, I left last week, all set for a 4-month stint south and westward.

My travel is also my work, so I have a plan, albeit loose one, as to where I'm going. Some of my travels are bound to include boondocking, the art of living without the hook-ups we all usually love. Boondocking has advantages--the freedom to park just about anywhere, and CHEAP!. And it has disadvantages, especially if weather becomes an issue.

Tonight it will be an issue for me, a chilly-wimp. It's going to drop to about 20 here in northern Florida. I'm boondocking, which means relying on a noisy, inefficient generator in the morning to kick on my otherwise noisy (but genny drowns it out) propane-sucking furnace. I will rarely kick on genny and furnace other than the morning.

I'd love some good advice on how to minimize the discomfort besides the obvious--dress warmly. My down comforter works fine once I get under it. It's times like now as I watch my inside thermometer drop to the low 60s and beyond that I'd like to have some simple way of generating a bit of warmth while I work on my laptop.

My reality check is my work with homeless people over the last 23 years. I know lots of folks are out in lots colder conditions, lacking the basics I so take for granted. So, my complaining has a caveat--I'm whining about something that isn't even the beginning of suffering. Wimp!

Where Did They Go?

The couple claimed they lived in a conversion van. That loose description applied to the late model van converted from vehicle to house by virtue of a mattress wedged into the rear seat area.

They parked in a campground, drawing my attention because they appeared to be living in their vehicle. At $33 a night it is cheaper than even the cheapest motel. Their view was priceless, a lake and mountain outside their window.

Their possessions fit inside their vehicles except for 2 camp chairs perched by the concrete "dining room" table, standard with each site. I'd see bath towels hung on the van door to dry, but little other signs of life. Their van remained parked while their nondescript sedan took off every day, to work? I wondered.

Since they were around a long time by transient campground standards I kept noticing them. It became painful awareness when temps dropped to the low 20s. I've slept in a car before, years ago as a situationally-impoverished college student in search of travel adventures. The 40 year time span doesn't erase the chill-to-the-bone memories.

The couple, fortunately sans children, were fairly invisible. I never saw their faces. When I had to leave my dream campsite for a more parking-lot-style spot I ended up just 100 yards away from the van-campers. Me, in the lap of modest luxury--with heat, water, space and soft chairs. My neighbors lacked all of that and more that I can only imagine.

For homelessness to be so close and me to not be able to do anything to help was frustrating. They didn't ask for help. I don't know if they needed anything, or perhaps I was projecting my guilt on their situation.

But they are gone now, disappeared in the past few days as I visited with family for the holidays. I can only hope their spartan camping experience led to an improved situation. They helped me remember why I'm doing what I'm doing--giving voice and visibility to homeless kids. Homelessness should disturb each one of us who live in luxury while so many lack the basics. I miss them....